The Victoria College, 1925-2000: A Tradition of Excellence

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Billie Rogers commuted from Port
Lavaca in the “Blue Beetle.”
the December election as a mandate to establish
a Victoria County Junior College “as expeditiously
as sound fiscal practice will permit.” To
the trustees, when all of the financial considerations
were weighed, “expeditiously” meant having
a new campus complex in place by the
beginning of the 1949 fall semester. The board
emphasized its intent by adopting the slogan
“Ready For September.” 45
Since the trustees were determined to have a
fully operational college by the end of the contract
with the local public school board, the
selection of a site for the college was intensified
in the spring of 1948. There was considerable
interest among members of the college board to
acquire Aloe Field from the War Assets
Administration for the agricultural program.
There was also some consideration given to purchasing
and removing the former air base’s hospital
to a site in town and using it for classrooms.
The board members, however, never
seriously viewed Aloe Field becoming the permanent
site for the primary campus. 46
Meanwhile, several local college students
were victorious at the District 9 junior college
intercollegiate contest that was held in Victoria
on March 25. Clarence Simon and Mary Ethel
Wagoner placed first in the radio speech
division. The two contestants were required
to read a commercial, “a newscast and an original
three-minute current events discussion.”
Undoubtedly, involvement with the college
radio broadcasts over KVIC were an important
factor in their triumph. Virginia Taylor and
Etta Lou Gentry won the girl’s debate competition.
The topic was, “Resolved that a world
federal government should be established,”
an apropos subject for 1948. Betsy Wright
was the winner in poetry interpretation. Merry
Cadden picked up the winning trophy for
girls’ oratory with a splendid presentation on
“The Supreme Sacrifice.” Extemporaneous
speech was won by Adrian Brandes. His talk was
on Finland. 47
As the speech competition and other extracurricular
activities at the college went forth, so did
the planning for the future of Victoria Junior
College. In an attempt to secure community support,
the board invited educators from Victoria
and the surrounding counties to a banquet at the
Denver Hotel. The affair was held on the evening
of March 31, 1948, and was presided over by
Wearden and Moore. Wearden in his opening
remarks stated it was “imperative that the new
college be ready to operate as a separate institution…at
the beginning of the 1949-50 school
year. To this end a bond issue is inevitable and it
will be submitted to the voters of our county for
their action at the earliest possible time.” To
cultivate support for the college, a variety of committees,
composed of faculty members and leading
citizens from the Victoria region, were formed
to assist with the college development program. 48
Affirmation of Wearden’s comments on a
bond election came quickly from the trustees. At
its regular scheduled meeting on April 12, the
board came out in favor of a bond issue of
approximately $750,000 to purchase a site,
finance the construction of buildings, and pay
for the necessary furnishings. To hold a bond
issue required a petition signed by 250 qualified
voters. To be eligible to vote, an individual had
56 ✦ THE VICTORIA COLLEGE, 1925-2000